Municipalities in the Netherlands to experiment with speed limits for cyclists
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By Simone Jacobs
Dutch municipalities could be allowed to experiment with speed limits for cyclists from next year, as part of a multi-year plan for bicycle safety proposed by the government.
Speed limits could be introduced on Dutch cycle paths
In the multi-year plan for bicycle safety submitted to the House of Representatives by the outgoing Minister of Infrastructure and Water Management, Robert Tieman, municipalities will be allowed to issue mandatory and recommended speed limits on cycle paths from 2026. While no specific speed limit has been set, traffic experts suggest a speed limit of 20 to 25 kilometres per hour.
Eventually, the government plans to implement a national speed limit for cyclists, contingent upon the success of municipalities' pilots. E-bikes, electric cargo bikes, and fat bikes are the primary targets for the speed limit.
Exactly how the speed limit would be enforced has not been mentioned, but there could be more police enforcement, with the possibility of speed cameras.
Dutch government proposes bicycle safety plan
Allocating 50 million euros for the plan, the goal is to reduce “the mass and speed differences on cycle paths” that are behind a large number of cycling accidents each year. Also included in the plan is an investigation into whether electric cargo bikes used to transport goods should be moved off cycle paths and onto roads.
The government also wants to provide fall and balance training for older cyclists. Authorities will also launch behaviour campaigns, encouraging cyclists to wear a helmet, warning against using a mobile phone while cycling or cycling under the influence, and explaining why tuning bicycles is unsafe.
Deteriorating cycling safety in the Netherlands
According to RTL Nieuws, cyclists make up a large portion of road fatalities (39 percent) and serious injuries (70 percent) in the Netherlands. Every year, more than 70.000 cyclists end up in the hospital due to road accidents, two-thirds of which are people over the age of 60.
The number of accidents is expected to rise significantly by 2040 unless things change. For this reason, the government is committed to encouraging the use of bicycle helmets. In 2023, only 4 percent of cyclists wore helmets but the goal is to reach 25 percent within 10 years.
Other than the new bicycle safety plan, AD reports that the government also has 236 million euros allocated for widening and improving cycle paths.
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Editor for the Netherlands at IamExpat Media. Simone studied Genetics and Zoology at the University of Pretoria in South Africa before moving to the Netherlands, where she has been working as a writer and editor since 2022. One thing she loves more than creating content is consuming it, mainly by reading books by the dozen. Other than being a book dragon, she is also a nature lover and enjoys hiking and animal training. Read more